Main valve for well testing tools



Aug- 9, 193.8 L vM. o. JoHNs-roN' 2,126,641

MAIN -VALVE FOR WELL TESTING TOOLS Filed .Abril 25, 1956 v 1N VENT R 1MUM/f4 a Jam/Joran B Y y /v g A A TTORNEY Patented Aug. 9, 1938 UNITEDSTATES ,PATENT OFFICE Mordica 0. Johnston, Glendale, Calif.

Application April Z5, 1936, Serial N0. '16,464

3 Claims.

This invention relates to oil well tools, and particularly pertains to avalve for a testing tool and the like.

In the operation ci.' oil well testing tools oi the type shown in myco-pending application entitled Well testing method and apparatustherefor, led by me on the 19th day of May, 1934, Serial No. 726,583,which has matured into Patent No. 2,073,107, granted March 9, 1937, awell packer is provided to seal oil the column of iluid standing in thewell from an area ofthe well to be tested. This packer and a testingtool upon which it is mounted are carried by a string of pipe by whichthe assembled structure is lowered into the well and manipulated. It iscommon practice to lower the testing tool and the string of pipe intothe well with the string ot pipe empty so that a sample of formation uidfrom below the packer may be entrapped within the itil i. t mi u) tiltesting tool and the string of pipe. Testing tools ci this type usuallyembody a valve structure through which fluid from the formation isadmitted into the drill string after the packer is set and by which theformation sample may be entrapped. In practice it has been found thatdue to the abrasive action oi the fluids which pass through the valveand are entrapped thereby the valves may be cut out, oiten resulting incausing the parts of the testing tool and the valve structure toseparate so that a part of the tool with the packer may be lost in thehole. llt is the principal object of the present invention to provide avalve structure for the purpose and of type here set forth in which thevalve elements will remain in their assembled position irrespective ofany damage which may occur dueto the abrasive action of fluids actingupon the valve and thereby insuring that the elements oi the testingtool and the valve structure will be maintained in an assembledcondition so that the packer `and the testing tool can be withdrawn tromthe well bore. l

'The present invention contemplates the provision oi a valve structurepreferably of the tappet type, the valve and seat of which have relativevertical movement, the valve structure being otherwise provided withlimiting means whereby the valve elements may be retained in x anassembled condition, irrespective of whether `or not the valve tappetand its seat are abraided or worn to an extent which would otherwisecause them to become separated and disassemf bled.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the-accompanyingdrawing in which:

4 Figure 1 is a view in elevationv showing an oil well testing tool withparts broken away to `disclose the valve structure.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in longitudinal sec- (Cl. 'ISG- 1) tionshowing various parts of the valve structure with which the presentinvention is concerned.

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section through the valve structure asshown on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section as seen on the line of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 5 is a view in transverse section through the Vvalve structure asseen on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing i0 indicates a drill stringto which is attached a testing tool comprising an upper section il, anda lower section i2. Disposed beneath the section i2 is an equallzingvalve section i3 carrying a well packer ill at its lower end. Thesections il and l2 are connected by a tubular mandrel i5 which extendsdownwardly and is formed with a reduced cylindrical portion it uponwhich threaded at its lower end to receive the threadedr shank 2l ot thevalve head it. Directly below the threaded shank 2i of the valve head isa cylindrical portion 22 of larger diameter than the threaded portion,thus forming a shoulder ,22' which abuts against the lower end face ofthe tubular mandrel i5.v An enlarged tapered valve shoulder 23 is formedas a part of the valve head it and is ot a diameter greater than theoutside diameter ofthe portion i8 of the mandrel i5. The valve head i9is formed with an outwardly beveled seat 24 which rests when seatedagainst a valve seat 25 which is carried at the lower end of a valvebushing 26. The inside diameter ot" the valve bushingv 26 agreessubstantially with the outside diameter of the portion i8 oi the mandrelI5 so that the mandrel I5 may have a sliding ilt through the bushing asit moves the valve face 2.4 toward and away from the valve seat 25. Thevalve bushing 26 is threaded into the lower end of the longitudinal bore2l termed as apart of a tubular valve sleeve 28. Thev upper end of thevalve sleeve 28 is Aformed with a pluralityof longitudinal slots 29within which the splines il on the mandrel may slide as the valve sleeve28 and the mandrel have longitudinal movement with relation to` each 4other. IIhe diameter of the bore 2l at the upper end of the sleeveI 28is substantially equal to the diameter of the upper portion of themandrel so that the mandrel will be properly guided within the sleeve.vThe upper end -of the sleeve 28 is reduced in diameter to receive anadjusting nut 30 which is threaded into position thereon. This nut has acentral opening 3| vthrough it substantially agreeing indiameter withthat of the upper end of the mandrel Il. Attention is directed to thefact that this diameter is smaller than the overall diameter of thecircle which describes vthe outer arcuate ends oi the splines I 1. Thusin the event of relative longitudinal movement between the mandrel I5and the sleeve 28 with its nut it willbe evident that the mandrel couldnot be pulled upwardly and outwardly throughA the nut but would belimited in its movement therewith to insure that it will remain inassembled relation thereto irrespective oli' whether or not the valvehead I9 is abraided away to such an extent that the mandrelcould bedrawn upwardly and out of the valve sleeve 28. Disposed above the nut 30and interposed between it and thelower end of the element il is anexpansion spring l2 which tends to hold the valve face 24 of head l!against the valve seat 25 at all times. Valve ports Il are formed in thecylindrical portion 22 ci the valve head I9.

In operation of the present invention the structure is assembled asshown in Figs. 1 and 2 oi' the drawing. In this position it will be seenthat the splines Il are within the keyways 2! so that the mandrel l5 mayhave longitudinal movement relative to the valve sleeve 2l whilepreventing the mandrel from having rotational movement with relation tothe valve sleeve 2l. 'Ihe spring 32 maintains the tapered valve face 2lof the valve head I9 in seated relation to the valve seat 25 and in thisposition valve ports Il will be sealed off from the passageway within alower barrel structure 24 which is threaded on to the lower end of thevalve sleeve 2l and forms a part of the unit i2. When relativetelescoping action takes place between the valve sleeve 2l and themandrel I5 the valve head il will move away from its seat. 25. 'I'hiswill establish communication between the barrel Il and the interiorpassageway 20 of the mandrel through the valve ports 33. In the eventthat an unexpected surge of fluid occurs before the valve can be closedit often happens that the velocity and the pressure of the iluid flowingthrough the valve ports 32 will be sutlicient to cause the valve headand its shoulder .2l to be eroded away, or so weakened that when alifting action is produced on the mandrel Il the head Il will break oi!or will pull through the bushing 2l and thus release the mandrel fromthe valve sleeve 2l and parts carried thereby. In the present instance,however, this cannot take place, since an upward pull on the mandrelwill bring the upper ends of the splines into engagement with the endface of the nut 2l. This will insure that the sleeve 28 will hang on themandrel so that the vsleeve with itsassociat'ed parts may be withdrawnfrom the well bore and will not be lost in the hole to require anexpensive iishing Job.

It will thus be seen that the valve structure here disclosed, whilesimple in operation, provides safety features which insure that itsparts will not become dissassembled. in the event o! damage to the tool.and while it is being with drawn from the hole.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, as now known tome, it will be understood that various changes might be made in thecombination. construction. and 'arrangement oi' parts, by those skilledin the art, without departing from the spirit oi' the invention, asclaimed.

Having thus .described my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Ietters'Patent is:

1. A device of the character described, a valve sleeve adapted forattachment to a packer, a mandrel longitudinally slidable in said sleeveand adapted for attachment to a drill string, means interlocking saidmandrel and said sleeve for positive rotation in unison while permittingrelative longitudinal movement therebetween. a bushing having threadedengagement with said sleeve and providing a valve seat, a valve headcarried by said mandrel and adapted to rest upon said valve seat wherebyupward movement of said mandrel will be limited, and cooperating meanscarried by said valve sleeve and said mandrel for holding said parts inassembled relation if said valve seat does not limit the upward movementof said valve head.

2. Valve means i'or oil well testers and the like, I

comprising a valve sleeve adapted to be connected with a well packerhaving a passageway therethrough communicating with a passagewayextending through said valve sleeye, a valve bushing detachablyconnected to said sleeve and having a valve seat provided thereon, amandrel extending through said sleeve and adapted to have longitudinalmovement relative thereto.

said mandrel and said sleeve being splined together, said mandrel beingformed with a central passage, a valve head carried at the lower end ofsaid mandrel and adapted to seat against said valve seat to prevent atlow ot fluid through said seat, said valve head being .adapted to closethe lower end of said mandrel passage and having openings whereby whensaid valve head is of! of said bushing seat tluid may iiow through saidseat and into said mandrel, a nut threaded on the upper end oi' saidsleeve and through which said mandrel extends, said nut over-hanging theend of said sleeve to stand in an obstructing position relative to thesplines on said mandrel whereby said mandrel and said sleeve will beretained in an assembled position, if said valve head has no engagementwith said valve seat.

3. A valve for oil well testers and the like comprising a valve sleeveadapted to be connected to a well packer having a passage therethroughto communicate with a passage through said valve sleeve, a bushingincluding a valve seat detachably secured at the lower end of said valvesleeve, a. mandrel extending through said valve sleeve and adapted tohave longitudinal movement relative thereto, said mandrel and saidsleeve being splined together, said mandrel having a passagewayextending therethrough, a valve head carried at the lower end of saidmandrel and adapted to seat against said valve seat to prevent a ilow o!fluid through said valve seat, said valve head being adapted to closethe lower end oi' said passageway through said mandrel and having portswhereby when said valve head is oi! of said valve seat iiuid may flowinto said mandrel, a nut threaded on the upper end of said valve sleeveandv through which the upper end of said mandrel extends, said nutoverhanging the end ot said valve sleeve to stand in anobstructing'position relative to said splines on said mandrel wherebysaid mandrel and said sleeve will be retained in assembled position. anabutment at the upper end of said mandrel, and a spring interposedbetween said abutment and said nut, and acting to hold said valve headon its seat.

MORDICA O. JOHNSTON.

